


Staking Claims

by NastyBambino



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Accidental Bond Rejection, Accidental Incest, Biting, Bloody Kisses, Brief Dante/Other, Dante Is Dense, Demonic instincts, Getting Together, Incest, Jealousy, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Nero Needs To Communicate Better, Rough Sex, Uncle/Nephew Incest, that becomes purposeful tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2020-02-10 18:50:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18666274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NastyBambino/pseuds/NastyBambino
Summary: The development of Dante and Nero's relationship and little glimpses into it.





	1. First Time

**Author's Note:**

> Idk I wanted to write them fucking then ended up with a multi-chap. This was originally meant to be a 5 plus 1 too. Welp. All mistakes mine. Hope you enjoy!

When Nero finally finds Dante after being exiled, it takes months of sexual tension for them to finally admit their attraction to each other. It reaches a head when Nero wakes up to the smell of sex and overwhelming amounts of perfume. His devil snarls in the back of his head as he grimaces. He swings his legs off the bed and puts his elbows on his knees. _Disgusting_ , his devil snarls. He can't help but agree. He gets up and peeks out of the door, hearing Dante's deep voice and high-pitched giggles that grate on his nerves.

Dante has the brunette bombshell against the doorway of his room, shirtless body covered in smears of lipstick. The source is smeared around her smiling lips. Nero can't help his lip curling up in jealous disgust. Dante catches his eye and beams at him. Nero feels his heart melt despite his wishes as an answering smile stretches his lips. The woman looks at him with distaste, and he suddenly feels self-conscious in his baggy long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants.

"How ya doin', kid?" Dante asks excitedly. Nero rubs his nose.

"You woke me up, old man," he huffs. Dante just winks at him, and he feels his cheeks pink. Dante turns back to the woman with a charming, but forced to those who know him, grin.

"It's been fun," he says, "but it's time to part ways, darlin'." Nero's eye nearly twitches as she pouts at him and puts a hand on his chest.

"Can't I stay a little longer?" she whines sadly. Dante chuckles and pulls her hand away, kissing it to soften his rebuff.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Jobs to do, business to take care of, kids to annoy." He winks at Nero again. The woman huffs and pulls her hand away, pouting still. "I'll walk you to the door." He disappears downstairs with her, and Nero sags against his doorway with a quiet sigh, pulling his sleeves over his hands.

 _Mate_ , his devil whines. Nero mentally shushes it as he goes into the bathroom to go about his morning routine. By the time he finishes, Dante is back upstairs with his chest cleared of lipstick and a paper in hand.

"We have a job on the other side of town," he says, waving the scrap. "Up for it?" Nero smirks.

"Always."

\---

Nero shrugs off his blood-stained jacket, glad that he wore so many layers and could have clean clothes after missions. He turns to ask Dante about the pay but feels the words catch in his throat as his eyes get stuck on Dante's bare chest dripping with random stripes of blood. His devil purrs in the back of his head, seeing the mess as a sign of power that calls for his submission. His cheeks pink as he follows a drop that skirts the waist of his signature leather pants before snapping back up to Dante's face. Dante's eyes are dark as they look back at him, something akin to desire in them. Nero can't help but feel like prey and shivers. He clears his throat before speaking, "Are you ready to go?"

"Just have to grab the money," he replies with a lazy smirk, resting his sword on his shoulder. "It's okay to stare. You wanted some, you could have just asked." Nero blushes darker and rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Go get the money, old man." Dante chuckles and obeys. Nero makes his way back to the car, feeling light-headed and unsteady. He's not sure if Dante is messing with him or not, but that doesn't keep his heart from skipping a beat and arousal making him dizzy.

He throws his weapons and jacket in the back seat before sliding into the passenger side and sagging into the seat. He closes his eyes as he thinks over how Dante looked at him, and his cock twitches in his jeans at the implications. He groans and rubs his hands over his face. Nero jolts up, eyes wide and startled, when Dante tosses his weapons into the backseat. Dante chuckles as he gets into the driver seat. "Napping on me, kid?"

"Maybe you shouldn't be so fucking slow," he snaps, resisting the urge to pout. Dante just raises an eyebrow at him as he starts the car. The drive back is in relative silence: nothing but the sounds of the city and the music playing quietly on the radio. It leaves Nero to his thoughts, to run Dante's words over and over in his head, to how he woke up to the woman hanging all over him and how his face brightened when he caught sight of Nero.

"You're thinking too much," Dante says, pulling him from his thoughts. "I meant what I said. You could have just asked if you wanted a ride." Nero snorts at his wording even as he rubs the bridge of his nose and his cheeks pink.

"Only ever seen you with a girl hanging off of you. How would I know?" Dante glances at him out of the corner of his eye as his lips curl in a lop-sided grin.

"This ride is open to the general public. I'll fuck anything that moves as long as its willing." Nero chuckles a little.

"Why am I not surprised?" He shifts in his seat. _Accept his offer_ , his devil snarls angrily. _You're wasting time!_  

Nero sags and groans quietly to himself.

"The offer always stands," Dante says firmly. Nero nods as his heart starts pounding. He's felt himself gravitate towards Dante ever since Fortuna, even when he had first broken through the glass and murdered His Holiness. The more they work together, the stronger his feelings grow. He doesn't think Dante returns them, but he'll take what he can get.

"Okay," he mumbles, knowing Dante will hear him loud and clear. "I've never had sex though. Kyrie was waiting for marriage, and I never ventured outside of our relationship, even for mating season." Dante slows the car to a stop in front of Devil May Cry, parking and turning the car off before turning to Nero who resolutely keeps his eyes on his lap.

"Look at me." Nero clenches his eyes shut. "Nero, _look at me_." A shiver goes down his spine as he finally obeys. The serious look he sees is something rare and strange on Dante's face. He squirms uncomfortably.

"What?"

"You know I wouldn't ever judge ya for that, right? If you want to wait until you find someone you want to be with for a long while, we don't have to do anything. Shit, we don't have to anything you don't want to, period." Nero huffs but can't deny that it makes him feel a lot better hearing it. He resolutely ignores the purring in the back of his head.

"I'm fine." Dante gives him another hard look before nodding. They get out of the car and grab their weapons, Nero throwing his jacket over his shoulder and following Dante to the front door. He finally relaxes fully once he's inside, feeling the lingering tension from the fight leaving his body.

"Swing by my room after your shower," Dante says with a wink and a charming grin as he puts his weapons away. Nero's cheeks pink as he puts his own away, and Dante disappears into the downstairs bathroom. Nero retreats upstairs to the second bathroom and sets the shower the way he likes it before quickly stripping down and hopping in.

Despite needing extra time to clean up anyway, he takes a while to gather his nerves and think about what's going to happen, how Dante will be with him, if he'll even _enjoy it_. It wasn't until Dante that he thought about sleeping with a man; being raised in Fortuna kept any type of sexual curiosity and exploration under wraps. He didn't want to be ostracized any more than he already was and buried any feelings that had tried to pop up. A crush on Credo when he was just a child taught him that the hard way. He shakes his head of the memories of his upbringing and washes his hair before giving himself a scrub down. If he takes more time to clean out his insides, well that's no one's business but his and Dante’s.

Nero gets out of the shower and wraps the biggest available towel around himself then picks up his clothes and walks into his room. He pulls out his secret indulgence of vanilla-scented body cream then gets to work on drying himself off before rubbing it into his skin. He hears Dante come upstairs and close his door as he finishes and takes a relaxing breath. He bites his lip as he looks through his clothes, not wanting to show up naked but not wanting to look like he's trying too hard either. "Why am I so fucking nervous," he huffs at himself. "It's just Dante." He slides on a baggy gray long-sleeve that goes past his hands and dark red boxer-briefs that he hopes Dante will like.

He runs his towel through his hair one more time before brushing it and running his fingers through it, biting his lip anxiously. He pulls his sleeves over his hands as he leaves his room and walks across the hall. Taking another steadying breath, he knocks on the door. Dante answers it in just his boxers, making Nero blush to the tips of his ears and rub his nose in embarrassment. He gets a surprisingly soft smile as Dante steps to the side and lets him in. He enters the room and sits on the bed, feeling like a teenager having his first kiss all over again. Weight settles next to him, and he can feel his heat against his legs. Nero messes with his sleeves as he stares at his lap.

"You don't need to be so nervous," Dante says quietly. "It's just me. Why are you? Don't tell me Kyrie's never kissed you before." Nero snorts and glances up at him out of the corner of his eye.

"All we ever did was kiss. Very chastely." Dante lets out a low whistle.

"Not even a little groping? Never got to experiment?" He shakes his head.

"Just me and my hand." Dante pats him on the shoulder.

"That sucks. You wanna start with kissing and see if you still feel comfortable?" Nero rubs his nose and nods. Dante cups his cheek and turns his face towards his, giving Nero a gentle smile. He swallows nervously as Dante leans in before meeting him halfway in a chaste kiss. They pull back before meeting again, much longer this time. Nero feels a tingle travel down his spine as Dante brushes his thumb over his cheek. When they separate again, they stare at each other with half-lidded eyes. "You okay with sittin' in my lap?" Nero shivers at the huskiness of his voice and nods.

"Y-Yeah." The ease in which Dante pulls Nero into his lap has him twitching in his underwear. He settles into the straddle and awkwardly sits his hands on the other's chest. "This is…something." Dante chuckles and settles his hands on Nero's waist.

"Still comfortable?" He chews on his lip for a moment before nodding. Dante runs his fingers through Nero's hair before cupping the back of his head and pulling him into another kiss. This one lasts a while, Nero's hands roaming his chest hesitantly and curiously as he notes the difference between kissing him and kissing Kyrie. A tongue prodding his lips makes him release a startled gasp, and he shyly opens them to allow it passage. It takes him a couple of tries to get into a rhythm with Dante, but once he does, he gets lost in the heat of the kiss and the arousal curling in his stomach.

Dante's hands go down to cup his ass, making him shiver and realize just how big he was compared to him. He urges Nero to rock against him, guiding him until he can pick the rhythm up on his own. The heat of Dante's cock pressing against his thigh has him whimpering weakly. Dante chuckles into his mouth and lays back on the bed, pulling Nero down with him so that he's lying on top of him. A leg slots between his own, thigh pressing into his half-hardened cock with his own pressing into Dante's. They rut against each other as they kiss, tongues twisting as they pant into each other's mouths. His demon purrs in the back of his mind, and it sounds like he can faintly hear Dante's purring back.

They separate again, Nero ending up under Dante this time, and Dante moves down to his neck, kissing and nipping at the skin. Nero lets out a breathy moan and tangles his human hand in his hair. He bucks harder against his thigh, panting as Dante sucks marks into his neck. He's straining against his boxer-briefs, already so excited that he's leaking pre and wetting the cloth. "Dante," he gasps, whining at the bite he gets in response. Hands moves to the bottom of his shirt, pushing the cloth up enough to reveal a strip of skin that he teases with his fingertips. Nero can't help a buck of his hips, keyed up from the new territory.

"Still okay?" Dante asks as he sits back enough to see him. Nero nods, face pink with arousal and embarrassment. "Gonna stop me if that changes?" He rolls his eyes.

"I promise I'll kick your ass the moment I want you to stop." Dante chuckles deeply and leans back more. He pushes his shirt up until it bunches under his armpits, Nero's nipples perking up as he shivers.

"Ever played with these?" Dante brushes his thumb over one, making him whine and arch his back, startled at how strong the pleasure is.

"N-No. _Fuck_." He gets a hum in response before a hot mouth descends on his left nipple; he releases a soft wail as his Bringer joins his hand on the back of Dante's head. His tongue feels almost burning on his skin, so overwhelming but also not all at once. He's never thought to mess with his nipples while masturbating, but Dante is quickly convincing him to add it to his routine.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" He switches to the other but reaches up to roll the abandoned one between his fingers. Nero whines and writhes on the bed, hands tensing and relaxing. His hips buck in search of friction beyond the wet fabric of his boxer briefs only to barely be able to skim the older man's abs.

"Come on," he whines with need. Dante chuckles and pulls back.

"Alright, alright." He grips the band of Nero's underwear then pulls them down and off. Nero blushes as his cock slaps his stomach, leaving behind a connecting trail of pre-cum. Dante spreads Nero's legs and places gentle kisses on his thighs. "Okay if I bite?" He swallows and nods, whimpering when he gets bitten almost immediately. He lets out a soft cry when Dante's teeth sink in more, and his human hand tugs hard on his hair.

"Ow! Okay asshole! Shit!" Even with the protest, he still feels his cock jump at the pain. Dante chuckles and pulls away, licking his bloodied lips. Nero looks at him with slightly aroused horror and swallows thickly. “U-Um…”

“I won’t bite you that hard again, I promise. Just testing the waters.” He pulls Nero into a kiss that he keens into, tasting his own blood on his lips and tongue. Something about it coming from Dante’s mouth instead of due to some injury in a battle makes him even more desperate for Dante to touch him. Nero pulls back and licks his lips. Dante winks at him and climbs off the bed. Nero sits up, shirt falling back down to cover his chest and cock again, and watches him undress. His eyes widen as Dante’s cock stands upright, free from his boxers and throbbing.

“That is _not_ fitting in me.” Dante chuckles and sits against the headboard before pulling Nero into his lap, cock pressing against the cleft of his ass. He blushes and leans more into the older man’s chest. “How much prep am I going to need? It’s fucking huge, Dante!” Dante grins and holds his hips.

“We’ll take our time and don’t even have to go that far tonight. It’s up to you.” Nero nibbles on his lip and stares at his lap, blushing even more at his cock tenting his shirt. Dante rubs his hips with his thumbs, moving them in soothing circles. “Would you like to stop?” He thinks a little more before shaking his head, looking at him with determination. Dante can’t help another charmed chuckle at the look before he nods.

Dante smiles and pulls Nero down into a kiss by his neck. He whines quietly as he kisses back, rocking back into his cock with a renewed sense of need. They make out for a while, mapping the other’s mouth with their tongues. When they separate, Dante rolls them over so that he’s hovering over him with his legs around his waist. “Let go so I can get you relaxed.”

 _Considerate mate._ Nero unlocks his ankles and lets his legs drop. Dante kisses his neck then lifts his shirt back up, tucking it under his arms again. He kisses down his chest, stopping to suck at his nipples and leave bites on his pecs that have him whining and arching into him. “N-Not too hard, jackass!” He chuckles and continues on his way down his abs, kissing along his pelvis despite the twitching cock begging for attention.

He moves down to his thighs and kisses the insides of them, leaving little bite marks and hickeys that’d be gone within the hour. _Can’t get that rough with him. Not yet._ Nero yelps when Dante throws his legs over his shoulders and lifts him up. He spreads him open in a way that has his face darkening with a blush and his hands flying up to hide it. Dante has to resist a coo at how adorable the flustered teen is. He kisses down his thighs and places a soft kiss on his balls; Nero whimpers quietly and twitches away. “Sensitive?” Nero nods behind his hands. “Is it okay to do that again, or do you want me to leave them alone?”

“S’okay,” he mutters just coherently enough for Dante to hear him. He places another kiss that has him twitching again before moving his kisses down further. He spreads his ass open, kissing the winking hole. A shiver shakes Nero hard, legs twitching closer together. He licks a stripe over it before kissing it again.

“Lube under the pillow.” He goes back to licking him while Nero blindly grabs for the lube, hand scrambling and breath hitching. He manages to grab it and throws it, wincing when he hits Dante in the head. He gets an unimpressed look and just shrugs.

“Oops." Dante bites him on the thigh in retaliation, and Nero pulls at his hair with a yelp. “Shit, okay, I’m sorry!” He lets go and chuckles, picking up the lube that landed next to his head. He pops open the cap and pours the cold liquid on his hole; Nero lets out a noise of protest, shrinking back at the chill. “You’re such an ass!” He has to hold back a snort at the scent of strawberry that reaches his nose.

“And I’m about to get in _your_ ass.” Nero rolls his eyes then whimpers as warm fingers spread the lube around and dip inside of him, gently starting to spread him open. “Since you’re new to this, I’m just gonna tell ya that this won’t have to happen every time. It’s good foreplay though and helps with relaxation.” He nods silently, breath hitching as the finger presses in deeper. Dante kisses his balls then sucks one into his mouth as he starts to thrust his finger.

“A- _Ah_ ,” he moans, hips bucking. Dante lifts his head up and lets it slip out; he uses his clean hand to grab an extra pillow and put it under his hips.

“There we go.” He eases another finger in and scissors them, Nero’s human hand twisting in the sheets as he bucks his hips. He thrusts his fingers and spreads him open to slip his tongue between them; the younger man lets out a startled noise and jumps before a shiver shakes his body. _So responsive._ He takes a moment to tap into some of his demonic heritage for a cool trick he learned he could do: he lengthened his tongue beyond human limits and startled Nero with how deep he felt him.

“ _Oh God_!” he whines loudly, clenching on his tongue and fingers. “W-What the h-hell are you doin- _ngh!_ ” Dante grins as he rolls his tongue over Nero’s prostate before slowly pulling back, licking along Nero’s walls. Nero trembles and bucks his hips, gasping and groaning softly. He changed his tongue back with a grin.

“Learning to control your devil has its perks.” He pants as the older man continues to finger him and lets out quiet keens and writhes. “I wasn’t expecting you to be so responsive.”

“Y-You’re not the- _fuck_ -the only o-one- _ah!_ ” Dante shifts up and licks a stripe up Nero’s dripping cock; Nero bites down hard on his lip, legs closing around his shoulders. “ _Shit!_ ” He can’t help but buck against the bed with a quiet groan of his own at the sight of the proud hunter falling apart under his mouth and hands. He sucks the tip of his cock into his mouth as he presses against his prostate; Nero cries out, head back and body arched, as the pressure in his gut releases and he has his first orgasm at the hands of another person. He gets a taste of his cum before he’s pulling back and sitting up just enough to see how he falls apart. He finds it so beautiful that his breath catches.

Nero trembles and lets out gasping pants, shooting a mess of cum onto his stomach. He shudders as he finally goes limp against the bed and his eyes remain shut as he regains his senses. Dante eases out his fingers much to his chagrin, his body twitching at the oversensitivity as he lets out quiet whines. His clean hand rubs the outside of his thighs, soothing touches that have him relaxing more into the bed. “ _Holy shit_.” Dante grins, no small amount of proud and smug.

“Wanna stop there now that you’ve had a taste?” Nero sits up quickly and grips his hair, eyes tinted a slight red.

“If you don’t put your dick in me in the next ten minutes, I will punch you through the fucking wall.”  Dante swallows and nods. When Nero releases his hair, he sits up and back, picking the lube up and opening it.

“Do you want to stay on your back or do you want to get on top and control how fast we go?” Nero chews on his lip as his cock twitches at the thought of either option, not having softened in the slightest.

“I want to be on top,” he admits reluctantly. “I’m…a little nervous.” Dante lays down on the bed next to him, leaning on his elbow.

“I was nervous my first time, too. You’re with me, though, and not someone who fumbles around not knowing what they’re doing. I’ll take care of you and make it good for you.” Nero swallows and nods, rubbing his nose.

“Can we start now?” Dante chuckles and lays on his back, slicking his cock with a soft groan. Nero moves on top of him with wobbly legs, straddling him so that his cock presses into his cleft. He lifts up onto his knees and grips his cock, holding it still. Dante cups his ass and spreads it open for easy access to his slick hole. He hesitates again once the blunt pressure of his cock presses against him, but ultimately, he takes a steadying breath and descends onto it, bracing himself for pain. He’s completely seated by the time he realizes that there isn’t anything beyond the overwhelming feeling of being _full_. Nero leans on his hands, using Dante’s chest as his support, and shivers with a quiet whine.

“You okay? Any pain?” He shakes his head and gasps as Dante shifts under him. His hands move to settle on his hips instead of his ass, and he rubs circles into the skin with his thumbs. “Whenever you’re ready.” Nero swallows and slowly lifts himself up with a soft groan until just the tip of Dante’s head is inside of him. Fingers slightly dig into his hips as he eases back down, Dante grunting as Nero lets out another groan. He moves slowly as he starts to build up a rhythm until he’s rocking his hips and bouncing on his cock with moans and whines of pleasure. Dante groans as he follows his rhythm, steadily fucking into him with a hard grip on his hips.

Nero’s head tilts back at the pleasure, marked neck on display and tempting Dante to mark it even more. “Can I- _ah_ -flip us and take o- _fuck_ -over?” he grunts out, holding Nero down to grind into the heat around his cock. The younger man clenches around him and gasps, quickly nodding. He wastes no time getting Nero under him and thrusting into him with enough force for the sounds of the meeting of his hips and his ass to fill the room. His grunts are nearly drowned out by Nero’s moans and cries. Nero digs his nails into Dante’s shoulders hard enough to draw blood and drags them down as his eyes roll back in his head. Dante lets out an inhuman growl and thrusts into him harder, the bedframe squeaking and starting to bang against the wall.

“ _Dante!_ ” Nero’s mind goes completely blank as he gets swept up into the hazy pleasure, writhing and arching even as he clings to Dante desperately. He never could have thought of sex being so _overwhelming_ , as losing his _everything_ in it. He can feel Dante everywhere, over him, around him, _in him_. His legs lock around his hips to pull him deeper as his cock is pressed between their bellies. He keens as Dante grips his hair and pulls him into a bruising kiss, full of harsh bites and bloody lips. That combined with the sporadic thrusts over his prostate has him throwing his head back with a loud, growling cry and cumming between them, dragging another bleeding trail down to Dante’s hips as he feels even more full clenching down on his cock.

“ ** _Fuck_** ,” Dante growls, his devil showing through as his eyes glow red. It takes a few hard thrusts before he’s pressing deep and filling Nero to the brim with his cum. He stays pressed in as he leans onto his elbows over Nero, both panting and staring at each other, hair clinging and dripping with sweat. They share a softer kiss once their panting is less labored, Nero’s human hand going into Dante’s hair as they make out, tongues dancing around each other as they gasp into each other’s mouths. They separate slowly, and Nero’s cheeks blush beyond his flush as he glances off to the side. Dante snorts and grins, nosing into his neck. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Nero sighs, grinning despite himself. “Sex is fucking awesome.” The older man chuckles and lays fully on top of him, getting a quiet yelp and a smack to the back of the head. He leans his chin on Nero’s chest and pouts up at him; he mentally fist pumps as his lips twitch upward even more.

“We can definitely fuck again if you want. Haven’t been able to let go like that in a while.” Nero hums, a twinge of jealousy at other people fucking Dante rapidly being buried to not ruin the post-coital afterglow. “You wanna get cleaned up now or go to bed?” He chews on his lip.

“Bed sounds more desirable than cleaning up,” he admits. “I’m not sure I want to deal with cum-soaked sheets though. I can already feel some of it coming out around your cock.” Dante sighs and lifts back up onto his hands as Nero lets his legs drop again. He pulls out with a groan, Nero gasping and twitching slightly at the new sensation. He reaches down between his legs and covers his loose hole, trying to keep the sheets as clean as he can. Dante’s eyes darken again as he watches him, a possessive growl rumbling in his chest. Nero bites his lip as and rubs his nose with his free hand. “Can I get a towel? Or has the dementia already set it?” Dante rolls his eyes and picks up the towel from his shower earlier, throwing at him. He easily catches it and tucks it under his ass, eyeing the small bit of cum on his hand curiously.

He licks up the small bit of cum, letting the unfamiliar taste settle as he swallows it. He barely hears another growl before Dante is settling on top of him again, kissing him hard enough to bruise and his thickening cock pressing into his thigh once more. He pulls Dante in closer and whimpers with need.

A couple more rounds of sex and a round of shower sex later, Nero is standing in Dante’s doorway watching him change the sheets on the bed, arms crossed. He almost looks soft fresh out of the shower, hair a towel-dried mess above his head and comfortable sweatpants on. “Are you sleeping with me tonight?” Dante questions. “I won’t tell anyone you like cuddling.” Nero snorts and looks off to the side, rubbing his nose and not answering, not really sure himself. Footsteps move closer to him, and an arm settles around his waist, tugging him to a warm, bare chest. He looks at him with a raised eyebrow, trying to play aloof even though he knows Dante can hear his heart racing in his chest. “I wouldn’t mind you staying.”

“Lonely?” he pokes. He gets an unimpressed look and sighs, looking down at their feet. “I…would like to stay.” He lets himself be lead to bed and climbs in with the other man, settling on his chest and curling up slightly as an arm settles around him. “You don’t starfish, do you?” Dante winks at him.

“Not when I’m sleeping with other people. Usually.” He huffs out a laugh and decides to wrap his leg around his waist.

“I octopus. It bugged the shit out of Kyrie.” A kiss is pressed into his hair; it feels uncharacteristically tender and soft, something he’s not used to, not even in his softest moments with Kyrie. It makes his heart skip a beat and lights a little spark of hope that maybe his feelings aren’t one-sided.

“I like when people cling to me, so don’t worry.” Nero hides an out-of-character smile, suddenly feeling almost giddy in a way he’s never felt. He blames the post-sex feel-good hormones still rushing through his body and the demon purring in the back of his mind.

“Enough with the mushy shit,” he grumbles. “I’m fuckin’ exhausted. I swear you’re part succubus.” Dante laughs and runs his fingers through Nero’s hair.

“I’m not, I promise. One of the perks of being a half demon is all the sex we get to have. I’m exhausted too, though. A fight and five rounds of sex would tire anyone out.” Nero closes his eyes and smacks him on the chest.

“Shut the fuck up.” Another chuckle before he falls silent. Nero lets the sound of Dante’s heartbeat and the warmth of the body under him lull him into the best sleep he’s had since leaving Fortuna.


	2. Take A Hint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are nice for a few months, but even Nero has his limits when it comes to watching Dante with other people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up 9 months late with Panda Express* I'M SO SO SO FUCKING SORRY. I swamped myself with events, had work, some personal shit, and I graduate from college this year. Shit has been fucking WILD. I hope this chapter makes up a bit for it. I'm going to try to get myself on a writing schedule so that this doesn't happen again. All mistakes mine despite my thorough editing. Hope you enjoy!

Nero could be considered content for the next two months, sleeping with Dante and soaking up the bit of affection that he can get from him. He can say that he definitely wants more, but overall, he’s pretty content. His demon, however, is a different story. He’s had more than a few headaches from the little bastard scratching at the back of his mind, growling and gnashing its teeth in anger from being so close yet so far from Dante being their mate. Doesn’t even entertain the thought that maybe, _just maybe_ , Dante might not want that. (But Nero can understand. He doesn’t like to think about it either.) Things even continue without incident until one of their missions where they have to do some recon before they can do the hacking and slashing.

Their mission sends them to a strip club that Dante seems to frequent (if the welcoming cheers and smiles are anything to go by). Nero can’t help but hide behind him, unconsciously latching onto his coat like a frightened child at the amount of eyes on Dante (and him by association). The man is in his element, all big smiles and flirty winks, and it makes something dark curl low in his chest and his devil growl in irritation in the back of his mind. Dante leads them over to the bar, leaning against it like he owns the place. Nero stands awkwardly next to him, ducking his head and scratching his nose; trying to hide his blush with so many eyes giving him curious looks is more difficult than he expects it to be. He looks up when one of the strippers come over, hair thrown over her shoulder in a braid Kyrie would be jealous of and eyes on Dante.

“Hey sugar,” she greets, pressing up to Dante’s chest as she wraps her arms around his neck in a hug. His hands settle on her waist without missing a beat, and the ease of it forces Nero’s eyes away and around the club trying to find something else to focus on even as he keeps his ears on their conversation.

“How are ya, Dutchess?” he asks with a chuckle. “It’s been a while.”

“Only because you’ve been gone!” Nero can hear the pout in her voice, and it makes something in his stomach turn something fierce. His hands clench into fists, and he hides them by crossing his arms. Someone walks up to him, grabbing his attention. He looks up and sees someone that almost looks his type (if it weren’t Dante).

“Why are you over here sulking, hm?” the stranger asks curiously, eyes roaming his body. Nero tries not to hunch, feeling naked under the sultry gaze in a way he’s never really felt with Dante. “You’re pretty cute.” He swallows.

“I’m not into twinks,” he mutters back. He just gets a grin for his abrasiveness.

“I think you’d make a nice fixture on the stage. Especially with that arm of ours.” He tugs his sleeve down and looks off to the side.

“Not interested.” The man nods much to his relief.

“If you ever change your mind, my names Angelo.” Nero gives a terse nod before he walks away. He chances a look over at Dante and feels his blood run cold. He’s sat down now, Dutchess in his lap with his hands on her waist. His devil howls against the back of his head, fists slamming into his skull and nails scratching so intensely it feels like someone is digging into the bone. He has to get himself outside before he accidentally hurts someone, can feel the haze of his devil trying to take over and get her off of ~~his~~ Dante. He shoulders his way through the crowd of dancers and spectators as his breathing becomes labored, nails digging into his palms as the enraged howling in his head gets louder. He finds his way to an alley nearby and shudders against the brick wall, covering his ears as he hunches his shoulders.

“If you do not shut the **fuck** up,” he verbally snarls at himself, in far too much pain to care about how he might look to someone else happening across him. His devil scoffs but switches to pacing like a caged tiger, thirsting for blood that Nero refuses to give it. He starts rubbing his temples and is so out of it that a tap on the shoulder startles him into swinging. Luckily, the punch is caught. Unluckily, it’s caught by Dante who’s looking less than amused. He wrenches his fist away, anger and jealousy from earlier still burning hot under the surface. Dante crosses his arms, and Nero shoves his hands into his pockets.

“They’re not here,” Dante says eventually after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, unusually serious. “Not that I really need you by my side or anything, but don’t leave like that again.” _Not that I really need you by my side or anything._ Nero bristles but swallows it down, trying to keep the little string holding everything down intact for as long as possible.

“You’re not my keeper, old man.” He can hear how hollow the taunt is and wonders if Dante can too. He’s not sure if he hopes he does or doesn’t. He gets a raised eyebrow.

“I’m the keeper of your ass as my sidekick.” Nero snorts but gets cut off before he can say anything. “We have another club to get to.” _Great._ He wishes it was just the one, but he could never be so lucky.

Every club is worse than the last, Dante seeming to have frequented all of them and blown money that he shouldn’t have. Nero goes nearly silent, barely giving one-word responses and only when asked a question. It puts off the people around him and probably makes it worse to gather information about the succubus, but at this point, he wonders if the mission is just a cover-up for Dante to go and visit his old haunts that he’s probably been too preoccupied to go to ever since Nero came back, and isn’t that a depressing thought? Nero isn’t one to think poorly of himself, but every once in a while, a stray thought takes hold. You can’t exactly erase decades of abuse via your home. He knows that. It doesn’t make him any less angry or on edge the longer they spend time in the club.

They’re crowded around him, almost to the point that Nero couldn’t see him if he tried. He’s reaching his limit pretty quickly and is about ready to go home and call the mission a waste of time. When his arm starts to glow, he turns to ask Dante if he senses a demon nearby, only to see his lips pressed against another pair belonging to one of the strippers that tried to talk to him earlier. His demon doesn’t rage, but instead lets out a pitiful, mourning cry that has his body shuddering and tears burning at his eyes. His confusion and embarrassment make him angry as a feeling of betrayal and rejection hits him out of nowhere. He doesn’t care about letting Dante know he’s leaving, doesn’t care about the slight freak out he had before when Nero ran into the alley when they were at the first club, doesn’t even care about the fucking demon they’re supposedly hunting. He turns and makes his way through the crowd, everyone giving him a wide berth after how he’s been all night.

He doesn’t have the keys to the car, honestly isn’t too sure where he is, but can’t bring himself to care as he starts walking. Dante can deal with the demon on his own, anyway. He has enough sense to pull out his phone and GPS his way back, sighing at the long walk ahead. “Whatever,” he mutters to himself as he pulls his headphones on. He blasts his music and shoves his hands in his pockets, feeling stupid for thinking that he could ever have someone like Dante. His devil is painfully silent, and he can’t help but feel bad for it, like it got the worst end of the deal. _Sorry, buddy,_ he mentally sighs. _Guess I screwed this one up for us._

 _Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt._ Nero pulls out his phone long enough to see Dante calling him before muting it and shoving it back in his pocket. _I don’t need him. We don’t need him._ His devil lets out a mournful noise that only makes him feel worse. _Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt._ Muted again. _Bzzt. Bzzt. Bz-_ He picks up, shoving his headphones down around his neck, and snarls into the phone, “ _What_ , Dante?”

“Jeez, what crawled up your ass and died?” Dante gripes. It makes him angry to hear him sounding so laid back, so unbothered while he feels like the ground has fallen from under him.

“What the fuck do you want?”

“Fine, shit. Where the hell did you go?” He stops and leans against a building, free hand curled into a fist in his pocket from Dante being irritated with _him_.

“I’m walking the fuck home. You can handle the demon yourself.”

“Scared, kid?” Nero’s lip curls.

“Got sick of all the fucking pheromones stinking up the place.”

“Nero-“

“Fuck off, old man. I’m sure your _adoring public_ misses you.” He hangs up and turns his phone off before pushing off the building and continuing his way back.

The next time Nero sees Dante again is the middle of the night, having made his way home and went straight to his room to sleep through the overwhelming whirlwind of emotions rather than deal with them. He hears the door slam open and jolts up and awake, eyes wide and snapping around before he registers the sounds of Dante winding down from a mission. He buries his face in his arms, not able to bring himself to pretend to be asleep, as footsteps come upstairs and stop in front of his door. It takes a little while for Dante to knock, merely letting him know he’s there before walking in. He has to keep himself from peeking up from his arms when a weight settles on his bed, presumably Dante. Things are quiet and tense, the only sound in the room the creatures outside. His devil paces in the back of his mind in the silence, and it only serves to put him further on edge.

“I’m sorry,” Dante says quietly; Nero’s head snaps up in shock, wide eyes clear even in the darkness of the room.

“What?” He groans and rubs the back of his neck, refusing to look at him.

“Don’t make me say it again,” he mutters. “You could have told me you had a thing for me, Nero. Or didn’t want me fuckin’ around.” Dante looks straight at him, and the intensity has his cheeks reddening in mortification at being found out.

“I-“

“And don’t try to deny it.” Nero falls quiet again and stares at his lap, picking at his blanket. “What pushed you over the edge?” He glares slightly, not wanting to talk about it at all, but Dante doesn’t look like he’s going to budge in the slightest. Everything feels heavy with emotion, and he has to guess that how he feels must be of some importance to garner such intense seriousness from him. He stares at him a little longer before sighing and tilting his head back, staring at the ceiling.

“Seeing you kissing someone else,” he mutters. “I didn’t get angry like when you had someone else in your lap. Or when she was able to just easily and openly touch you.” He unconsciously holds a loose fist to his chest. “It felt like everything just…broke, I guess. It pissed me off. I didn’t know what was going on, and I still don’t get why it hurt so damn much. I felt really bad for big guy in here though.” He taps his temple. “The howl he let out fucking _hurt_. I didn’t think demons felt emotion like that, even ones attached to humans.”

Dante remains quiet afterward. The silence goes on long enough that Nero looks towards him again; the contemplative look of pure _pain_ on his face rubs him the wrong way, and he reaches out to him without thinking, tugging him close enough to nose at his cheek. “I don’t like that look on your face.” A hand settles on the back of his neck, and he bristles reflexively before almost immediately relaxing again.

“I rejected you,” he rasps out, startling Nero slightly with the rare expression of raw emotion in his voice. “I rejected you without knowing it. That’s a really big thing with demons and mating. Sometimes the shit is so bad you can die from it.” He frowns and thinks back to the tone of mourning in the wail his demon let out. “ _Fuck_ , kid.”

“I don’t understand. We weren’t -aren’t- together like that.” Dante chuckles slightly, humorlessly.

“To your human side we weren’t. Your demon probably thought he was mine without a proper claim, probably just waiting for one.” Nero wrinkles his nose slightly, still thinking too much on the human side to fully understand. _We’re gonna have to work on that_ , Dante mentally sighs. “You’ll understand the more you come to understand your demon side.” Nero just nods distractedly.

“Can you- would you be fine with-“ He groans and runs his hands through his hair, demon trying to get him to voice the need for closeness that it wants them to have, that it knows that they probably need. The urge to _take_ rises up in him, and for once he just listens, tugs Dante onto the bed and under him, climbing on top of him and nuzzling up against his neck. The other hunter lets out a startled huff but doesn’t fight him at all, wrapping his arms around him with a hand on his back and the other in his hair. His devil purrs at the proximity but forgoes the usual mutters of mate. Once bitten, twice shy.

“We’ll figure this out in the morning.” Nero just grunts and breathes in his scent, not wanting to talk anymore. They don’t even really fall asleep, minds racing and processing too much for anything more than a light dozing. It’s something new for them: for their relationship and for their experiences. Dante’s never been comfortable enough with anyone to do anything remotely like this; Nero’s only intimacy came from Kyrie and never in such a full-body way (that he would never admit to needing). He can’t fully tell how Dante feels without properly looking at him, but he knows that _he’s_ terrified of it. Even then, he can’t help but crave to wrapped up in Dante’s scent and touching him as much as he can. Dante is new territory in every way, and it scares and thrills him all at once.

They don’t move again until the sun comes up, joints popping as Nero sits up and moves off of him. They both take the time to stretch and go about their morning, reconvening downstairs with coffee after taking showers. Nero stole one of the rare sweaters Dante keeps in his closet, knows that he recognizes it by the way his eyes flash as he watches him sip from his mug. They bask in the morning atmosphere for a few moments before Dante sighs and kicks his feet up on the coffee table. “Do you want a relationship?” he asks bluntly. “That’s a really bad idea, really. I’m not exactly relationship material.” Nero raises an eyebrow, and an emotion passes over his face that he doesn’t get a chance to identify before it’s gone.

“I’d say the same thing about me,” he mutters, thinking about him and Kyrie. “We’ll figure it out. I don’t want you fucking around with anyone else, old man.” Dante crosses his arms, and the strange seriousness is back.

“I don’t share either. I’m possessive. If anyone tries to touch you, I’ll kill them. You know that, right?” Nero shouldn’t find that as attractive as he does, tries to convince himself that he doesn’t.

“That you or your demon talking?” Dante chuckles.

“Both. I just have the reins right now.” Nero snorts and takes another sip of his coffee.

“You won’t have to worry about that.” He lazily waves his right arm. “Pretty strong deterrent to possible romantic partners.” The chair is hitting the floor, and there’s a hand around his wrist before he can lower it back to the table. He turns the palm to his face and presses a kiss against the scales, making his claws twitch.

“ _This_ is beautiful. Don’t talk shit about it or I’ll kick your ass.” There’s a slight grin on his face, but it doesn’t hide how it’s very much not a joke.

“You can’t beat high self-esteem into me, dumbass.” He gently pulls his hand back and tucks it into his lap, eyes narrowed at him. He kicks his feet back up and crosses his arms behind his head.

“I can try. You need to get your ass kicked every once in a while.” Nero’s eye twitches, but he reins in the urge to slam him into the table. For now. Dante smirks, and he’s thinking it over again before he speaks instead.

“So are we a thing now?” The older man snorts with a laugh.

“ _A thing_? Really?” Nero blushes a little but just shrugs. “Yeah, kid. We’re _a thing_.” He doesn’t resist this time and throws his empty mug at Dante’s head fast enough that it smacks him in the middle of his forehead, hard enough to tilt him back and crashing to the floor. He doesn’t pay the pained groans any attention, stealing Dante’s coffee instead as he curls up on the couch with his cell phone and coveted prize. When Dante’s dramatics end, he drops down on the couch behind Nero and pulls him between his legs.

A nose brushes against Nero's neck, and he tilts his head to the side without thinking, allowing Dante access and pleasing the purring demon in the back of his mind. He can feel the puffs of air on his skin, can feel more than hear the rumble building in Dante’s chest. He starts to let out an answering purr without thinking about it, demon instincts coming to the forefront of his mind. He doesn’t push them back for once, feels no need to honestly. Not with Dante. Never with Dante. He closes his eyes and leans back against him as arms go around his waist, relaxing once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so so so so so so sorry. I will try to do better in the future, and I really hope this was a good enough taste to justify the too long wait. Kudos and comments are always welcome. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you continue to do so!

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely more to come. Uploading mad spotty for me though. Anyway, kudos and comments always welcome. Thanks for reading!


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